Victorian Lacrosse Referee Accreditation

[Jay Jay]

I read with interest the post on the Victorian Lacrosse Website regarding the upcoming Referee accreditations. http://www.lacrossevictoria.com.au/

I continue to be amazed at the expectation that accreditted referees are the only referees who are allowed to referee Junior and Senior matches. I agree with the concept as more informed referees can produce more informed decisions and I would think create safer Junior games.

However I totally can not fathom that the VLA and ALRA expect that to be an accreditted referee you must attend a training session one week out from the regular season. I can not understand this on four fronts:

1. It is one week out from the regular season on a Saturday and Tuesday, traditional game days and training nights.

2. That an accreditation only lasts one year - A coaching accreditation lasts longer than that; a working with children check lasts longer than that.

3. Anyone can be accreditted, does this make them a good referee? A good referee needs an understanding of the game, insight and confidence. Does a two hour session provide this?

4. My club first discussed this in December and in January offered to the VLA that we would host this, yet we are not a confirmed venue. However a 3rd may be selected.

Do we really need to be accreditted annually?

And I am yet to mention that this was posted 2 weeks before they are scheduled to be held! Or that we are fined heavily for providing non-accreditted referees!

[Dill.Lax36]

Yeah i wanted to learn to Ump junior games.. now i cant -.- i think? Because their bringing in accredited umps yeh? that sucks..

[fairy]

from what I understand...


all ALRA refs-Australia wide need to update accreditation on yearly basis- and it is necessary that club refs revise and have opportunity to resolve rule issues at least on an annual basis.

in the past,ref acc.sessions too far out from the first round were poorly attended- several clubs reported being unable to round up interested parties till closer to round 1. some prefer sessions after the start of the season.

#3.agree-understanding of the game,insight n confidence will grow with experience and rule knowledge- surely any efforts to improve these by formal accreditation should be welcomed by individuals willing to offer their services to their club and the game? annual sessions provide opportunity to build on knowledge base. also to update with rule changes.

maybe annual accreditation should not be viewed as a yearly chore, but a sequential course in growing the base numbers of quality junior and senior club refs. as an observer over the past few years the depth and quality of club refs is obvious.

#1 LV organizes dates and venues.date suggested by LV were not suitable to your club. another date may be arranged.

Dill.Lax36- start studyin the rule book n get your accreditation!

[Jay Jay]

Fairy - the concept is fine. The method is mad. If they really want this to happen use the fines gained from clubs last year, to pay the referees to go to clubs to run it at clubs convenience not ALRA's or VLAs.

I know in the past when the ALRA (VIC) were a little more accomodating we had sessions (replaced a training night) at our club and it was insightful to players and also gave them the (now all important) accreditation.

[fairy]

Mmmmm....can see merit- tho a dozen or more clubs vs 2 or 3 sessions.....

give feedback at appropriate sub committee level or Board level maybe?? ALRA meetings welcome visitors-I was attended one or two and found the educative aspect important and helpful.

[swankylaxer]

I agree Fairy the accreditation is vital to the continued groath of quality in umpiring in Lax. Even I also believe it is important for as many kids and senior players to do it regardless of wether they will be regular umpires.

I made all of the Vic U19's do it last year and it helped with their understanding of what the umpires are looking for and how rules can be applied in different ways depending on the circumstnaces.

How ever I do find the days picked to be a poor choice. The 1st session on the Saturday before the season starts, when I am planning on having a practice match for Surrey's S/L as I expect most S/L coaches will arrange some type of training for that saturday. The 2nd session on the Tuesday, another trainig time for all clubs, the week you are fine tuning your team for the first game.

I can not beleive that my own commitee agreed to hold it on that Tuesday night when they know we have training. I have been asked to change our training session to another day or to send everyone in to do the accreditation. If I change days then all of the young guys who go to Uni and arrange work for the non training days can't make it because they will be working. If I send them all inside then I cut down the preparation of the team for our game.

Considering that I have training sessions planned well in advance, I'm talking 4 to 6 weeks in advance, there is not much chance of me sending them all inside when we have a lot to work on. I am taking this up with my commitee not just whinging on here.

[whistleblower]

Considering that I have training sessions planned well in advance, I'm talking 4 to 6 weeks in advance,


Sorry to move off topic!

FFFking What???

Are you serious Swanky? - You prepare training sessions 4 to 6 weeks in advance!!!! How can you plan ahead of the problems that may or mat not occur on the field each Saturday?

What happens Rd 1 if you lose by 10 goals because your D continually can't clear, will you continue with your 6 week program plan or address the problem??

[Corduroy]

Seems to be a heck of a lot of whinging here from most of the contributors. For crying out loud....get over it!

It's ONE night your club and players need to commit to. If at least, it will help your players better understand the rules, and at best will improve the standard of reffing across the board.

For those less informed (Swanky, Jay Jay & Dildo 36) it is an insurance requirement to have 'qualified' people (albeit at varied levels), officiating at the game. This is why people need to be retrained and reregistered each season. Maybe you ought to get along yourselves. At least we won't need to listen to the varied (an at times WRONG) interpretation of the rules on a Saturday morning and afternoon. Hell, you might even make a couple buck out of it for you troubles.

Has anybody considered that it is the referees who also actually have to be available to conduct the training. Why should they be at the beck and call of a couple of coaches or players who are put out for 2.5 hours....Get over yourself.

WB - I'm back, so look out! Swanky - Dido with WB's thoughts. Few's outs down at SP this year?

Roy.

[cannon]

For those less informed (Swanky, Jay Jay & Dildo 36) it is an insurance requirement to have 'qualified' people (albeit at varied levels), officiating at the game. This is why people need to be retrained and reregistered each season. Maybe you ought to get along yourselves. At least we won't need to listen to the varied (an at times WRONG) interpretation of the rules on a Saturday morning and afternoon. Hell, you might even make a couple buck out of it for you troubles.
Roy.



For those less informed (Swanky, Jay Jay & Dildo 36) it is an insurance requirement to have 'qualified' people (albeit at varied levels), officiating at the game. This is why people need to be retrained and reregistered each season. Maybe you ought to get along yourselves. At least we won't need to listen to the varied (an at times WRONG) interpretation of the rules on a Saturday morning and afternoon. Hell, you might even make a couple buck out of it for you troubles.



Yep. Analogous to having trained 'fire wardens' in every office complex. Though the fire warden may or may not actually be of any use in helping out of a burning building the insurance company won't cover you (i.e. open themselves up to pay damages) if you are negligent in not doing the utmost to provide for the safety of your employers, that is to train them.

Same goes for ref's. LV would find it harder to get insurance cover if they didn't have a training/accreditation scheme to establish in the eye of the insurer that they have done their best in providing protection to their members.

That said. It's never the wrong to chant:
"im blind, im deaf...i wanna be a ref"

[fairy]

[

"Has anybody considered that it is the referees who also actually have to be available to conduct the training. Why should they be at the beck and call of a couple of coaches or players who are put out for 2.5 hours....Get over yourself."


Well put Roy!
and presumably- they spend an amount of time preparing,printing and planning their sessions also.

[swankylaxer]

W.B - yes I do plan well ahead and of course every training session is flexible but considering this is the lead up week to the first round there wont be much flexibility in what we need to work on that week. Do a level 2 coaching course at the VIS and you will see why I plan like that.

Roy - I do believe I said that the accreditation is important. I have attended every year for the last 5 years and now that Lax Vic have decided on a 3rd session which will be on a Monday night I will attend again this year even though I very rarely Ref games. To busy coaching generaly. I am all up for the whole of the club attending just not on a training night the week before round 1.

I work in Insurance and so does my wife, so I understand exactly how all of it works. How this makes me 'less informed' I don't quite understand. If you read what I wrote carefully you will see that most of the gripe is with my own commitee and the fact that they didn't bother to converse with me about a suitable day/time.

Those varied interpretations will happen regardless of the training, people need to actually study the rules and the signals for more than the time taken out at the sessions.

Yes a very different looking team this year Roy.

[skin11]

The Only gripe I have is the yearly accreditation, surely we can get any new rules and interpretations sent to the clubs to pass on to any club refs, that being said the sessions will still need to be done every year for new refs
c u there anyway.... you will find me at the bar............

[Jay Jay]

If you all think that having accreditted referees creates a safer playing environment, you are obviously not thinking. We have many accreditted referees including ALRA who do not make the playing environment any safer, I can't remember the last time someone dislodged the ball form my stick after slashing the crap out of my upper arm.

Remember what I said initally a "good referee needs an understanding of the game, insight and confidence" Does a 2 hour session provide this?

If so...

I have an idea then we get all our under 14's accreditted and they can then referee seniors! Wouldn't that make for some fun!

[fairy]

all refs must be at least the age of the group they are reffing-a bylaw.
or be judged by LV to be mature and have the ability to do the job in a higher age group.

so, jayjay- what system would YOU suggest to ensure that we have enough refs for all junior and senior games who hold an understanding of the game,insight and confidence?

2008-16 snr games weekly x 3 refs plus even more junior grades?

[Dill.Lax36]

How much does it cost to attend it?

[swankylaxer]

It doesn't cost anything

[munders]

We had an U16 player ref a S.L. game the other week. Good on him i say.

It helps to know what you can and cant get away with.

[Dill.Lax36]

We had an U16 player ref a S.L. game the other week. Good on him i say.

It helps to know what you can and cant get away with.

far out.. kid has balls.. i'd be a bit worried calling a SL Player for a slash lol... wouldnt want him coming and having a go at me.

[vic laxette]

hey mate, your'e a friend of Harris and other ALRA refs- is he and others accredited for 2008? What happens if ALRA guys don't update yearly- do we ever find out this stuff? do they get paid/fined????

[fairy]

ALRA refs are re accredited every year prior to the season. usually this is during their pre season training weekend or by prior arrangement if absent from these sessions.
their Association is independent of LV.